Medical errors in U.S. hospitals kill tens of thousands of patients each year, and even more suffer injury because of mistakes by doctors or nurses. Not every case of harm is avoidable—patients may get an infection even if doctors do …
Should the Olympics proceed in Rio de Janeiro in August as planned? With the lighting of the torch set to take place in less than three months, a handful of medical experts are calling for the games to be postponed …
The U.S. is in the midst of an opioid crisis. Deaths from prescription painkiller overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. To combat the epidemic, 49 states and Washington, D.C., have built computer systems intended to detect when people try to get …
Just two months ago, researchers in China identified a gene that can make bacteria resistant to a last-resort antibiotic called colistin. It was a bombshell discovery for people who follow superbugs. Now that gene has been detected in at least …
America’s system for ensuring that medical devices are safe failed at every turn when dirty endoscopes began spreading deadly superbugs, according to a Senate investigation released today. The report, from Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, blames device manufacturers, hospitals, …
In October of 2000, an Ebola outbreak was detected in Gulu, Uganda. The virus spread across the country, infecting 425 people and killing over half of them. It was a wakeup call for the African nation, but apparently not the …
Obamacare is about to test how well people respond to economic incentives. About 3.5 million Americans who are uninsured today could get health coverage in 2016 for less than what they’ll pay in penalties under Obamacare, according to a new …
In the movie Concussion, Will Smith plays the doctor who discovered the condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in pro football. The film’s release this month follows years of headlines on the risks NFL players face as they …
When the Steelers and Patriots clash on Thursday night in football’s season opener, you’ll see 250-pound men slam into each other, head to head, at high speed. And get concussions? There’s no easy way to tell. That goes for young …
The Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters last week to three medical device manufacturers whose endoscopes have been blamed for spreading deadly bacteria. This is the agency’s strongest regulatory action yet since outbreaks in Los Angeles, Seattle, and elsewhere …
